mouse_move

mouse_move is a minimal, single-file C program that lets you move the mouse cursor using your keyboard.
Designed for Linux users who value simplicity, speed, and control — especially on minimal setups like i3 or other tiling window managers.

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Features

• Keyboard-based mouse movement, mouse buttons and scrollig
• Configurable keybindings, speeds, and device paths
• Fast, minimal, and dependency-free
• Can run without root using udev rules
• Just one C file + one config file

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Inspired By

This project is inspired by:

• mouseless — a Go-based program with similar functionality

This C version is a ground-up rewrite focusing on low-level simplicity and speed.

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Security Notice

This program reads raw input events and creates a virtual device via uinput.
It requires root privileges unless configured otherwise.
Always read and understand the code before running with elevated permissions.

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Installation

Clone and build:

git clone https://felimikli/mouse_move
cd mouse_move
sudo make install

Then make sure to have a config.h file:

cp config.def.h config.h

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Configuration

Edit config.h to adjust all settings:

• Keybindings (e.g. HJKL for movement)
• Speed levels
• Device paths (keyboard input)
• Combo keys to enter/exit control mode

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Usage

Run the program:

sudo mouse_move

Or launch automatically from:

• .xinitrc
• your i3 config
• a user systemd service

Control flow:

• Press the START_COMBO_KEYS to enter mouse control mode
• Use the keybindings you defined to move and click
• Press EXIT_COMBO_KEYS to pause control mode
• Press KILL_COMBO_KEYS to fully terminate the program (rarely needed)

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No Root Mode (via udev rules)

To run without sudo, follow these steps:

1. Create the udev rules file:

sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/99-input.rules

Paste this:

KERNEL=="uinput", GROUP="input", MODE="0660"
KERNEL=="event*", GROUP="input", MODE="0660"

2. Add your user to the input group:

sudo usermod -aG input $USER

3. Reload and trigger the rules:

sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger

4. Make sure uinput is loaded at boot:

echo "uinput" | sudo tee /etc/modules-load.d/uinput.conf
sudo modprobe uinput

5. Reboot.

Now you should be able to run the program without sudo.

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Device Setup

Set the KEYBOARD_DEVICE manually in config.h for better reliability:

#define KEYBOARD_DEVICE "/dev/input/event3"

Leave it blank to enable auto-detection:

#define KEYBOARD_DEVICE ""

To find your keyboard device:

• Run: ls /dev/input/by-id/
• Or check: cat /proc/bus/input/devices
• Look for event nodes tied to EV=120013 or similar

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License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.
See the LICENSE file or https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html for more.

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Final Notes

This tool is small by design. If you want more features, look at mouseless

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